O is for the only one I see
by Moreanswers24
Summary: Fiyero Tiggular was in trouble and not the type of trouble he was usually in. No. This type of trouble was worse. What kind of trouble was he in? He was in love. And not just with anyone. He was in love with the most unattainable girl at Shiz. Shiz AU


**AN: Hello again. I really should be studying for my finals that are two weeks, but I decided to take a break and this is what I came up with.**

 **Disclaimer: Nope.**

* * *

Fiyero Tiggular was in trouble.

It wasn't the type of trouble he was normally in either. It had nothing to do with his academics or his conduct and in fact, he had improved so much in both of these regards that his parents had sent him a letter asking not-so-subtly whether or not he had been intercepting letters from the university. Although he was slightly hurt by this, he also knew the toll that his conduct and his poor study habits had had on his parents and to a larger extent, the Vinkus, so he let it go.

When he came home for summer break a few days prior, his parents gave him the warmest reception since he started his (very long) college career. He later learned that this was due to the fact that they had contacted the university personally and had learned for themselves that the reason there were no letters coming to them was because he was in good academic standing and behaving in a satisfactory manner.

No, this type of trouble was the worst type of trouble Fiyero Tiggular, the scandalacious, supposedly brainless Crown Prince of the Vinkus had ever been in. And what exactly was this trouble? What made this type of trouble worse than all the other types of trouble he had been in?

Love. The trouble was that he loved someone.

And not just any girl; not a girl who fell at his feet and pretended that they both were perfect and meant to be together forever. No, he was in love with a girl who deserved the world; who was smart, compassionate, sarcastic, and caring. He was in love with the most unattainable girl at Shiz University.

He was in love with Elphaba Thropp.

* * *

He couldn't fix on the hour, or on the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation for these feelings. All Fiyero knew was that he was in the middle of his feelings for her, before he ever knew he had begun feeling that way towards her.

Maybe it was the day that he arrived at Shiz. When she woke him up and confronted him about "running her over" and later that night how she danced in front of all those people. The people who were so quick to decide that she was less than and deserved to be treated as if she was dirt underneath their shoes.

It also could have been the days and weeks following the dance at the OzDust ballroom, when Elphaba, so wary and on edge, due to the start of her kindling a friendship with Galinda and in a way with Fiyero, although they still couldn't stand each other and only managed to go without killing each other because of Galinda .

But then, it happened, the day it changed everything. Yes, even though Fiyero could say that he was in the middle of his feelings before he knew he had even begun, one day cemented it all in his mind. It was the day that to this day still resonated in his mind.

The day of the Lion cub and the clearing near Shiz.

The day she confronted him about his behavior, how she knew it was an act, how she knew how unhappy he was. How she knew that he was so much more intelligent than he showed.

The day he realized that she wasn't just an obnoxious know-it-all who thought she was right all the time and had no tact, always getting into an argument or a commotion. But that she had to act that way because all her life, she had been treated horribly and this was a way to protect herself. That she only caused a commotion because even at this place of "higher learning", people were keen on just following what was socially acceptable, not trying to break the status quo. How she was a know-it-all, but that didn't make her obnoxious, but eager to learn anything and everything she could while she was here.

The day in which he wanted to kiss her and for a moment, he thought she might want to kiss him too. But then the Cub needed attention and he painfully remembered he had a girlfriend. A girlfriend who did not deserve to be cheated on. Before he wouldn't care, but at that moment, it suddenly mattered. It mattered because Elphaba deserved to not lose her only friend and Galinda deserved to have an actual friend, not one of those followers who used Galinda for her status.

That day was it. The day that changed everything. After that day, he changed and everyone saw it too. The days where he would go out for drinks all night didn't seem to appeal to him. When he got the results from his midterms back, about two weeks after that day, he began to stay for office hours and he finally approached Elphaba and asked for her help. Asked her to help him buckle down.

* * *

Galinda broke up with him two weeks later.

"I'm not stupid, Fiyero," she had said with a quiet ferocity he had never heard from the blonde. "You have changed. It's like I'm not enough, anymore. Nothing is good enough anymore."

He couldn't even use one of his lines there, because it was true. Nothing was good enough because he knew things couldn't just be "good enough" anymore. He had remained "good enough" for too long.

"Look Galinda-"

"Don't 'Look Galinda' me, Fiyero. We're drifting apart. And I know why. I know that something changed the day that Dr. Dillamond left."

"He didn't leave, Galinda. He was taken. There is a big difference."

"See! Before, that wouldn't matter. It wouldn't matter to you that I didn't have everythingng spot on. Now, whatever I say or don't say has you moody and despondiary. I don't deserve that. I know you know that I don't deserve that."

Fiyero was silent again. Again it was true. He then spoke, "I'm sorry. Galinda, I am. You're right and nothing is the same and-."

"It's time we break up. It's over."

He and Galinda remained friends, albeit however awkward it made Elphaba feel.

As they studied together, his feelings became more solid. Get to know her to the point that he knew his feelings wasn't just hormonal lust and wanting what he couldn't have. He was in love with her.

As he got to know her more, he got to know her fears, her dreams, how even though she begrudgingly allowed him to call her Fae, he knew it made her smile, the things that made her smile, the way she just wanted to be loved, whether it be by her father or the people of Oz, And not just in a superficial way, but in a way that made a change. Especially since mid-semester her father had found out about her sorcery lessons and forced Elphaba to drop them or else be pulled out from university all together.

When he heard that, Fiyero had been furious.

"He can't be serious. That is insane. You shouldn't have to listen to him, Fae. He is your father. He should be supporting you. He should be there for you. Like he is with Nessarose. I see the novels of letters he writes Nessarose, you never get that. Or I've never seen you get that."

"It's just different, Fiyero. That is all. Just…that's all"

When he found out why it was different, he was furious once more.

* * *

He had told her, when he first had asked for help, that he wanted to make his parents proud and that was partly true. He did want to be the Crown Prince his parents and his homeland deserved. However, he had another motive.

He wanted to be deserving of having Elphaba in his life as more than just a friend.

He wanted to be her support system, the one she never had. He wanted her to have the ability to not have to silence her thoughts or opinions or beliefs because she felt like no one would understand. He wanted her to be protected, because even though she could protect herself and she was no weak damsel in distress, he wanted to give her the ability to not be strong. To let go.

He wanted to give her love. He wanted to give her family.

This was trouble for him because before this would have scared him. If he had ever felt any inkling of an emotion for a girl before, he had squashed it. He was certain growing up, despite the fact that he had a good example in his parents, that love wasn't real.

Yet as he sat at his desk, he knew that wasn't true.

He knew that it was going to be difficult. Elphaba's self-worth had only slowly started to form this past semester due to Galinda and himself. But it was all worth it.

However long it would take didn't matter.

He smiled and took out a piece of paper and a pen and began to write.

 _Dear Elphaba,_

 _Hope this letter arrives safely. How are you doing? I hope everything is…_


End file.
